


Images

by ladyluckrogue



Category: One Piece
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-21
Updated: 2013-10-21
Packaged: 2018-05-10 05:17:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5572378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyluckrogue/pseuds/ladyluckrogue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One shot: Set just prior to the Straw Hats reuniting after the time skip. A look into Zoro and Nami's thoughts. Written from both Zoro and Nami's point of view. Rated for language.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Images

AN: This is a plot bunny I've had stewing around in my head for a bit and had to get onto proverbial paper. After the disappointment of not finding too much in the way of Zoro/Nami fanfiction out there, I just had to write some emotional angsty piece here. With that, enjoy J This takes place just prior to the post time skip episodes where the Straw Hats are reunited. I've taken a lot of creative liberty here.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, if I did, Zoro and Nami would have been together. I also don't own the song 'Almost Lover' by A Fine Frenzy. It's a great song…check it out. Lyrics will be in bold, flashbacks in italics. This is un-edited. I will be posting the beta-ed version soon…I was just excited to put this up and couldn't wait so all mistakes are mine :D

*EDIT NOTE* Thanks to fmdevil for pointing out my error as far as beri are concerned. I don't know what I was thinking not looking that up -.- It's fixed now, you can stop cringing ;)

Also...for those of you looking to share the ZoNa love...please check out the new Google + community :) Hoping to see all of you thee! u/0/communities/100311047974507321690 Hopefully you can see the link but you never know...It's called Orange and Green...you should be able to google it!

+!+!+!

Nami stood, gazing at the clouds in disbelief that in just a few short hours she'd be back at Sabaody Archipelago. It had been two years on Weatheria. Two years had seemed to pass in an instant, though she'd accomplished so much. She learned more than she could have hoped for from Haredas and the others. Skills she hoped that she could use.

Hope. That was the feeling that filled her, that rose in her chest with every breath. Hope that she'd be reunited with the others and they would continue their adventure. They'd travel to the New World. She'd map the world.

She only hoped the others would be there, that she would be able to reunite with Luffy and the others.

Luffy. He'd given her the freedom to pursue her dream. A freedom no other had ever offered. He'd cared for her, he was family. Her heart swelled at the chance to see him again and the others aboard their familiar home. She was eager for her old room on the Thousand Sunny, to walk the salt worn planks, to lay under her tangerine trees and smell their sweet scent, to feel the ship rock over the waves. A smile graced her features at the thought.

Usopp, Robin, Franky, Sanji, Chopper, Brook…She missed them all, even though some annoyed her to no end at times.

And then there was the Swordsman. The perpetually lazy, always in her face, gruff swordsman. Zoro, who simultaneously drove her up the wall and never failed to be there for her when she needed it most. The man who had been on her mind more and more the past two years.

Your fingertips across my skin  
The palm trees swaying in the wind, images  
You sang me Spanish lullabies  
The sweetest sadness in your eyes, clever trick

Her heart sank for a moment. She wasn't sure Zoro was even alive at this point and it was surprising how much pain she felt at the thought. The last time she'd seen him, he'd been injured from his fight with the Pacifista and Admiral Kizaru. She remembered the shock and despair of almost seeing him killed by Kizaru before Rayleigh had stepped in. Then he'd gotten to his feet in an act of defiance when Kuma, the real one, not one of the Pacifista copies, had landed near him. And then he'd been gone. Without medical attention, she wasn't sure he could have survived, though she hoped that the swordsman was indeed too stubborn to die like they'd often joked. Had his wounds healed? What had he been up to for two years? Had he changed? The questions swam through her head.

Her eyes closed, holding back the surprising moisture gathering there. Would he even want to see her? Would it still be the awkward silence between them leading up to them arriving at Saboady? A warm breeze picked up around her, ruffling her hair, grown much longer than she'd ever worn it. The wind brushed across her skin, warm and reassuring, with a hint of salt from the ocean far below. It reminded her, teased her with the memory of why they hadn't been talking. Her eyes squeezed tighter relenting, thinking back to one of the nights before arriving at Saboady.

The atmosphere aboard the Thousand Sunny was relaxed and quite. It was a much needed change, a chance to relax and enjoy the little things and recover from the events on Thriller Bark. A chance to get back into the routine and back to their adventure. They'd be arriving within the next two days. Their next stop was Saboady Archipelago.

Sounds of chatter and laughing could be heard from the galley as Nami made her way onto the deck of the ship from her room. She'd been staring at the same map since after dinner and needed to clear her head. She thought briefly about joining the others in the galley, about grabbing a drink but discarded the notion. The drink would be nice, welcome even but she felt like being alone.

The wind was gentle and warm, ruffling the sails above, wrapping her in the scents of salt and wood. The wind changed direction, shifted just a bit, bringing the sweet, citrus smell of the tangerine trees to her. She inhaled, breathing in the scent, savoring it. She made her way to the deck, feeling the soft grass on her bare feet. The tangerine trees swayed overhead lazily. The sound of fabric moving and a glint of green out of the corner of her eye alerted her to another presence on the deck.

So much for being alone. Despite her thoughts on it, perhaps Zoro wouldn't be bad company. He seemed to be in the same quiet contemplative mood as she was. Honestly she was happy to see him up and moving after what he'd been through.

Zoro was laying on his back in the grass, his arms behind his head. She wasn't quite sure if he'd been sleeping or watching the stars. He looked stoic as always, though the slight furrowing of his brow showed that he seemed to be working something out. He had initially moved when he'd heard her but relaxed when he noted it was her. His eyes were on her as she made her way next to him.

Nami layed down in the grass next to him, a bit of space between them and mimicked his position. She tilted her head to glance at him briefly. He looked tired still, pale and worn out from his wounds which were nearly healed. There was still faded bruising visible on his body where his open shirt showed his muscular chest.

"Not up for partying with the others?" Zoro asked quietly.

Nami shrugged, "I felt like being alone." Her eyes stared up through the leaves of the tangerine trees to the stars, admiring their glittering lights in the sky, sparkling like treasure.

"But you're not." Zoro pointed out.

Nami smiled, "Might as well be. You're quiet enough." This earned her a predictable snort. "What are you doing up here, figuring out the meaning of life?" She teased, though she found herself genuinely curios as to what was going through his head.

"Who says I was doing anything other than sleeping?" He shot back, a slightly defensive tone to his voice.

"Your frown line says different." She reached out gently poking him in between his brows, trying to smooth the line she found there. His hand reached up pulling hers away, his calloused thumb brushing across her palm, sending an completely unexpected and sudden jolt through her. Where the hell had that come from? She quickly pulled her hand away, trying to keep the blush off her face as she folded her arm back behind her head. Cautiously she peaked over at him, seeing his dark eyes focused on her face, as if he was looking for something. The blush crept across her cheeks at his scrutiny.

"What are you staring at?" She snapped, irritable at the sudden thoughts in her head she seemed to be entertaining. Thoughts she'd always vehemently pushed away. Like how his muscles gleamed under the sun when he worked out on deck, on how damn good that tank top he'd worn on Skypeia had looked on him, or the way the starlight looked on his features right now. What the hell was wrong with her?

"What the hell is wrong with you? You poked me, remember?" Zoro shot back. He seemed confused, agitated with her reaction.

"Nothing." She shot back with a huff, trying to get a hold of her thoughts. There'd been a sort of tension between them lately, ever since before Thriller Bark. They'd stopped at a small island for provisions and gone out drinking together. Nothing new, Zoro was the only one who could keep up with her when it came to drinking. They'd drank and laughed and had to make a quick escape when it'd been found out that Nami had cheated at cards to win the 100,000 beri pot. Nami's mind was hazy on the details, she'd drank far more than usual that night but she remembered running and laughing with Zoro, dizzy from the alcohol and exertion. They'd stopped to catch their breath, the sounds of the town surrounding them, music, and people laughing and yelling. She'd stumbled drunkenly against him, he'd caught her and they stood for a few minutes, Nami had leaned into him, swaying to the music, uncaring of her surroundings. She'd woken up the next morning back on the Thousand Sunny with one hell of a hangover. Her pride had prevented her from asking Zoro about it. She hoped the alcohol had just clouded her memory from remembering walking back herself otherwise it was to mortifying to consider she'd passed out. Since then though, her mind had started to notice little things about him, remembering his strong arms around her, his scent. It drove her insane and she did her best to ignore it. He was her nakama, her crew mate. Nothing more.

The sound of Zoro sighing irritably snapped her out of her thoughts. As she glanced at him, taking care to avoid eye contact, she noticed the bottle of rum by his elbow.

Rum instead of sake, that meant he was troubled. He was bringing out the big guns; either that or they were out of sake.

Nami sat up, and reached over him for the bottle, cursing herself for the movement instantly. With her body across his like this she could feel his body heat, though they weren't quite touching. She could smell his scent, that distinct smell of sweat and steel and the scent that was his own. As her hand touched the bottle she heard his sharp intake of breath. Perhaps she'd startled him or perhaps her thoughts weren't as one sided as she thought. Quickly, she grabbed the bottle, moving away from him, shifting to sit cross legged. He too sat up watching her as she opened the bottle, meeting his eyes, daring him to say anything as she took a long pull from the bottle.

Zoro motioned for the bottle and she handed it to him, watching as he too took a long drink from it. He finally met her eyes, a determined look coming over his features.

"I think we need to talk, Nami." He stated simply.

Nami felt defensive, she didn't like the tone his voice had taken, the low quiet tone. She much preferred to fight with him now, not to hear what he had to say.

"Don't think there's much to say really." She said with a haughty tilt to her chin.

"I think you know what I'm talking about." Zoro stated, giving her a pointed look. He took another drink, handing her the bottle. She grabbed it, gripping it in her lap.

"Don't." She snapped, glancing away, looking anywhere but him. Her heart pounded in her ears, her anxiety getting the better of her.

There was an exhale from Zoro, a sharp noise of exasperation. "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn woman?" He demanded.

Her eyes snapped to his, full of fire. "Stubborn? I'm not the one bringing up stuff that shouldn't be brought up."

He raised a brow, "Oh really, you're a mind reader now? 'Cause I'm not sure you really know what I was going to say."

"Just let it go." Nami said, her voice sounding almost whining to her own ears and she winced.

"I don't think I can!" Zoro practically yelled. He took a breath and lowered his voice. "I think you realize that there's something between us, something that wasn't there before-"

"Just let it go damn it!" Nami interrupted, not wanting to hear it, to have it confirmed, to face it.

"I for one would like a chance to see what it means." Zoro continued, his hand touching hers as he moved closer.

Nami squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head, "No you don't." She said, feeling a bit childish as she said it.

"Don't tell me what I don't want to do." Zoro snapped, a dangerous edge to his voice. She opened her eyes, surprised how close he was, at the look on his face. His eyes were stormy, conflicted, an almost dejected expression, as if he knew this was going to end in failure.

"What is it that you want anyway?" Nami demanded.

"I want you to tell me the truth. I want you to tell me that you don't feel the same way about me, that running from that bar like our lives depended on it, like laughing like maniacs in the street and holding on to each other wasn't the best feeling in a while, the biggest thrill." He said, his eyes holding hers, his gaze hard and sharp, scrutinizing her.

"We were drunk." Nami said, trying to deny what he said was true.

Zoro nodded, "We were but still. The feeling is still there."

"Maybe your drunk now." Nami rolled her eyes.

"Not likely." Zoro scoffed. "Guess there is only one way to know for sure." He said, reaching over, his hand touching her cheek, angling her face towards his.

When his lips touched hers, she wanted to panic, to shove him away, hit him for daring, but his lips on hers sent a tingle of excitement through her, that thrill he'd talked about. It felt right somehow, he felt right. She relaxed slightly, responding to his kiss, her hands reaching down to touch the plane of his chest, to touch his scars, to feel his warm smooth skin. She then moved her arms, wrapping them around his neck, her fingers tugging on the short hair on the nape of his neck, tugging him closer. She lost her self the sensation, the heady taste of him laced with rum.

His hand brushing through her hair and down her neck snapped her back to reality and she opened her eyes, a panicked expression on her face as she realized what she was doing.

"I'm sorry…" She muttered, shoving him back and stumbling to her feet. She didn't hear his protest or his voice calling out for an explanation. She saw the look on his face though, that almost sad look in his eyes and she clenched hers shut against the image as she ran down the stairs, nearly running Luffy, Robin and Franky over in the process. She barely made it to her cabin before the tears had started, her breathing heavy and shallow all at once, that feeling of overwhelming panic…

Well, I'd never want to see you unhappy  
I thought you'd want the same for me

Nami's eyes nearly teared up as she remembered what had happened. She'd spent many nights thinking about what might have been with some regret. Zoro hadn't deserved it. She wasn't sure quite what he felt but he hadn't deserved her rejection, her having a panic attack. What hurt the most is that she may never get to find out what had been going through his head, that she might never see his face again.

Goodbye, my almost lover  
Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
I'm trying not to think about you  
Can't you just let me be?

Then again he didn't deserve someone as messed up as her in the first place. He didn't deserve her fear and anxiety when it came to situations that were out of her control. She'd been with men before, more than a few times but never a relationship. Growing up under Arlong hadn't allowed her such things. It had introduced her instead to the power that sex had in the world. She'd been given over to men by Arlong as a form of reward, for money and during drunken celebrations. They weren't fond memories, they were filled with pain and horror. She had survived and as she had grown and developed more, she'd learned to use her charms to her advantage. She'd seduced men for her own personal gain. She wasn't sure she could handle a relationship after all that. She was terrified at the thought of not being in control and of someone caring for her.

Yet somewhere along the way Zoro had grown on her in a way she could have never anticipated, in a way that was different from her other nakama. The image of his face burned clearly in her mind's eye.

She formed a plan in her mind. She would take things a day at a time, get back to her adventure with her friends, back to mapping the world and honing her skills, back to making all the money she could. If Zoro was there, she'd welcome him with open arms as a friend, and play it cool, act as if nothing had changed. And then maybe there would be a small chance, a small hope of something more. She wouldn't burn that bridge this time.

The breeze caressed her face again and she smiled. Just a few more hours…

So long, my luckless romance  
My back is turned on you  
Should've known you'd bring me heartache  
Almost lovers always do

!-!-!-!

One breath in. One breath out. Slow, calm, steady.

Zoro shifted his weight, one knee on the wooden planks, the other bent, his weight on the ball of his foot.

Steady. Controlled.

He drew his sword in one motion, shifting his weight forward on his foot. His blade sliced through the air in front of him in a horizontal cut. He pivoted his wrist, another cut, the other direction, this one slow, his blade gleaming, reflecting the sunlight.

Both hands gripped the hilt bringing the sword above his head, and he brought it down in a cut, the blade singing through the air, stopping the cut, bringing the sword to a stop in front of him. With one hand he flicked the blade, as if shaking invisible blood from it, before sheathing it in one fluid motion.

Kasumi. One of the first katas he'd learned as a child.

He rose to his feet, light, his weight perfectly centered, his feet whispering over the floor, perfecting his footwork.

He'd come a long way since then, since the clumsy hours of practice just to be able to slide his foot across the dojo floor in a manner that satisfied his sensei.

Footwork was the foundation, without it anything else was wrong. But though he'd grown from that, learned his katas, how to fight with one, two and three swords, perhaps it would do him well to go back to basics. Two years of training under Dracule Mihawk and he felt no closer to his goal of beating him than before. He'd learned a lot, more than he'd hoped for. He'd added powerful attacks to his arsenal, but he still wasn't able to defeat him, still wasn't able to claim the title he longed for. He had to wear his defeat for the world to see. The scar on his chest was a reminder, a perfectly executed reminder of his failure, a flawless cut that Mihawk had executed. Just like what was taught in the the dojo. The perfect kesagiri is to strike your opponent and the line of their gi, from hip to shoulder and down. How many times had he practiced that cut until his wrist cramped and his shoulder burned?

His newest scar, his newest sign of defeat, his punishment for losing his focus was his eye. There was no poetry to the cut; there had been no perfect execution, just a cut, a flick of the wrist then pain.

It was healed now, just another scar but the loss felt fresh, the burn and humiliation of defeat leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. It was back to basics.

Back to footwork, to Kasumi, to Yukitsure.

With a deep breath he drew his sword, extending it out from his body at a 45 degree angle, his arm straight, cutting with the same motion as the draw. He pivoted his upper body cutting again, 45 degrees from his last cut before then smoothly returning the sword to it's sheath.

Very basic katas, very basic footwork. He needed the distraction and piece it gave him. He repeated the two katas, with each hand, ensuring that both sides of his body were honed and in tune with each other, eliminating any weaknesses or imperfections in form.

When he finished, he squatted down, feeling as if he were back in his old dojo for a moment. He carefully lay Wado Ichimonji in front of him and placed his hands on the floor beside it, bowing. Respecting the weapon, it's power, the memories and promises it held.

Zoro sat with his eyes shut, breathing, finding his focus. It wasn't a moment later before a scent rose above the salt of the sea and the wood of the ship. A scent he hadn't smelled in a long time. That sweet citrus scent of tangerines.

Nami

It was a scent he associated with her. He squeezed his eyes shut thinking his mind was playing tricks on him, sure of it, knowing when he opened them it would be confirmed.

Then he felt the hands touch his shoulders. Cold hands, long thin fingers, long nails. And he knew.

Zoro felt his jaw clench in anger at her audacity. Perona was back to playing games again. It had been a while and this was the lowest one yet, which was saying a lot.

He felt her hands squeeze the muscles of his shoulders, trying to work the tension out of them and having the opposite effect.

"My, aren't you tense." She cooed in his ear, making his stomach clench in anger at her tone. Her hair draped over him as she leaned down, trailing over his skin, making it crawl.

How the hell he'd ever given into her in a moment of weakness was beyond him. It was a low moment of his life, one that made him burn with shame and regret almost as much as his defeat to Mihawk.

It had been shortly after Mihawk had decided to train him, after a bad day. Zoro had given in to self pity, to feeling hopelessness, desperation. He'd picked up what was left of his pride and decided to drown it in a bottle of rum he'd come across. Perona had been there, she'd said all the right things, whispered little dirty nothings to him, made him feel less worthless for just a minute and he gave in. He'd regretted it almost instantly. It gave Perona power over him, made him feel dirty but he'd done his best not to look back on it. Not to play her games.

Zoro shrugged her hands off his shoulders, getting to his feet. He crossed his arms defensively and stared down the woman in front of him. She straightened up, flicking her long pink curls over her shoulder and fixing him with a smile, a wicked sort of smile. Her large strange eyes full of mock innocence.

"I came to tell you that we'll be in Saboady by today." She stated simply, taking a step closer to him. Her eyes fluttered as she leaned in, "Though we still have some time to kill…" she whispered suggestively.

Zoro snarled, taking a step back, her perfume was strong and the tangerine scent didn't belong anywhere near this woman in front of him. It was making him think of Nami, distracting him from the dangerous cat and mouse game Perona liked to play.

"That was a mistake and it's not going to happen again." He said firmly.

Perona pouted, "Your loss then." The pout didn't last long as she moved towards him once more.

"I'm sure you noticed the perfume. Do you like it? I wore it especially for you today, knowing that you would be seeing that girl again. That shirt she borrowed from me smelled just like it." She said with a grin as she leaned closer, her breath over his ear. "I hear you muttering her name in your sleep."

Zoro felt the overwhelming urge to run her through, to be done with her. He was tired of her games, pissed that she would manipulate him.

"That's none of your fucking business." He hissed between clenched teeth. "If I didn't need you to get me to where I'm going, I would kill you here and now Perona." He vowed, clenching his fists.

Perona let out a giggle, seemingly unphased by his outburst.

"Come find me if you need me." She called over her shoulder as she floated away.

Zoro unclenched his fists, still feeling the rage of Perona's words and actions burning in his chest. He made his way slowly over to the rail and looked over the waves. They were stunning in the sunlight and he was happy to be out of the perpetual gloom of Kuraigana Island. Happy to be getting back to everyone on the Thousand Sunny and forgetting that these two long years had happened. His training he took to heart but everything else could just disappear from his memory and he'd be fine.

The thought of Luffy's excited face brought a slight smile to his. Hell, at this point he'd even be happy to see the shitty cook.

Perona's perfume still lingered in the air, bringing his thoughts back to Nami. He'd thought about her a lot. In his darkest moments, in his dreams, he thought about how she made him feel, how it would be to see her smile again. To see her get angry at him. To have her talk to him.

Before they'd been separated, he had avoided her, avoided talking to her at all. When they'd arrived at Sabaody, he'd gone out with the intent on getting drunk and forgetting just how good her lips had felt against his, forget how much it'd hurt to see her run off. He should have gone after her, apologized to her but it was far too late. He'd been too stubborn and upset.

He thought back to the night all those weeks before Saboady, their last normal night out before things had become awkward and strange, before they'd ended up hunted down and separated.

We walked along a crowded street  
You took my hand and danced with me images  
And when you left you kissed my lips  
You told me you would never ever forget these images, no

While most bars had a tendency to water down drinks, the little hole in the wall pirate bar they'd found sure as hell didn't. Then again, judging by their clientele, they probably were scared to. There were some pretty colorful characters around the bar, most of them on the shady side. Zoro recognized more than a few as wanted, with substantial bounties.

He took a sip of ale. The quality was atrocious but it was strong. He'd had enough where he didn't mind. His tongue was pleasantly numb and he was definitely feeling the shots he'd done earlier. Nami had convinced him to take a few, betting him that he couldn't down 5 faster than her. She'd won again but he couldn't seem to care. By now he ought to know better than take her bets. She never bet anything unless she knew she could win.

He watched from across the bar as Nami played cards with a group of heavily armed men. All of them looked dangerous but she seemed to be doing well enough. It was times like this that he had to remember she'd been on Arlong's crew and could definitely hold her own.

After a few minutes there was a celebratory 'whoop!' from Nami as she won another hand, winning the pot. If he'd heard right, it was a hundred grand at least.

There were grumbles from around the table as Nami leaned forward to scoop up her winnings, stuffing the money in her pockets. Good thing she'd worn something with pockets because knowing Nami, if she hadn't she'd probably be stuffing it down her shirt and giving the men a show. He rolled his eyes at the thought, taking another drink.

The first inkling that something was wrong was the sound of a blade being drawn, a rapier by the sound of it. Zoro turned his head to see one of the men at the card table, red faced with anger, drawing his sword accusing Nami of cheating. She managed to grab the last bit of cash, her hands up in defense as she tried to sweet talk the men down. More of them stood drawing weapons. When she realized batting her eyelashes wasn't going to win, she picked up a chair, throwing it at the group of men and turning to run.

"Come on Zoro!" She yelled, grabbing his arm. He barely managed to set the mug down before being pulled along. They ran out of the bar, down the road. For a while there were footsteps and angry shouting following their every move. They ran back towards the main part of town. The streets were quiet and empty, as it was fairly late, until they got closer to the town center. There was still a lively crowd out. By this time, they seemed to have lost their pursuers.

Zoro slowed down to a walk, Nami doing the same, both completely out of breath and laughing that they'd gotten away.

They stood next to a fountain, close to the town square. A tavern across the way had a lively folk band playing so the music was loud as were the people partying.

Nami took a step, stumbling, she pitched forward towards Zoro, who reached out an arm to steady her.

She giggled, "Woops. All that running and stuff got to my head." Her speech was slightly slurred, her face flushed from both the alcohol and running and her eyes had a glassy sheen to them.

Zoro's arm on her shoulder to steady her when she leaned into him, her face against his neck. "This is nice." She muttered.

Zoro looked down at her, not minding the contact in the least, but surprised by it. She had a smile on her face and she'd closed her eyes for a moment. She opened her eyes, glancing towards the tavern as if just now noticing the music. She bobbed her head, enjoying it, her body swaying slightly to the beat. Zoro stood there, with Nami leaning against him. It was almost as if they were dancing. He dropped his hand to her waist, waiting for her to shrug it off or yell at him. It never came. She just smiled, her face nuzzling his neck. Goosebumps broke over his skin at the feeling.

He tilted his head, resting it on hers. He could smell her shampoo, smell her, the distinct smell of tangerines, sweet with a hint of spice.

As they stood there Zoro realized that he was falling for her. He wasn't sure when it happened but it did. He wouldn't tell her though, because he was sure she didn't feel the same. It would make things awkward. Besides, they were nakama. Things didn't need to get complicated.

"We should get going." He told her, not wanting to move.

Nami nodded turning with him, still leaning into him heavily. Made sense…she'd been drinking far more than he had throughout the night.

"How'd they find out you were cheating?" He asked, curiously.

Nami giggled. When I leaned over to grab the money, cards fell out of my shirt." She said with a drunken grin.

Zoro's eyes couldn't help but look at the low-cut top she was wearing. It barely covered her bust and a hint of lace showed from her bra. He had a feeling she'd pulled it down on purpose, for advantage only to have it backfire. He tore his eyes away, laughing at the image.

By the time they made it back to the Sunny, Nami's head was lolling sleepily against Zoro, though she was still mostly awake.

"Oi, Marimo. What'd you do to her?" Sanji said from the deck.

"Nothing," he shot back with a sneer, helping Nami onto the deck.

He reluctantly handed Nami off to Robin who offered to take her, feeling a jolt as her lips brushed his neck before she leaned on Robin. "Night." She said hazily.

"Night." He echoed back

Well, I'd never want to see you unhappy  
I thought you'd want the same for me

As Zoro leaned on the rail he couldn't help but feel heavy. She hadn't remembered that kiss, how it had burned him from the inside out. That simple brush of her lips. She hadn't remembered it or hadn't wanted to. He couldn't be sure.

Then before arriving on Saboady, their talk under the stars, the feel of the rum in his blood stream, the feel of Nami's lips, her body. She'd responded, she'd kissed him back. He could still feel the warmth of her hands on him, her tugging his hair, pulling him closer.

Goodbye, my almost lover  
Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
I'm trying not to think about you  
Can't you just let me be?

So long, my luckless romance  
My back is turned on you  
Should've known you'd bring me heartache  
Almost lovers always do

He still didn't understand why she'd run. He'd gone over every moment of the memory, every movement, every word, looking for an explanation. He couldn't find one. He supposed she'd snapped to her senses. The look on her face as she ran, the way she'd been breathing had been panic. Perhaps he'd come on too strong. She never spoke of her past but he could only imagine the hell she'd gone through as a girl on a crew like Arlong's. Could only imagine the horrors she'd faced.

Maybe he'd sparked a memory.

I cannot go to the ocean  
I cannot drive the streets at night  
I cannot wake up in the morning  
Without you on my mind

So you're gone and I'm haunted  
And I bet you are just fine  
Did I make it that easy to walk  
Right in and out of my life?

Zoro slammed his fist on the railing. He should have gone after her and talked to her. He wasn't sure if it would have accomplished much of anything at all. Would she have talked to him? Did she feel the same about him? Had he imagined the spark between them?

He realized he missed her more than any of the others. He missed her jokes, going out on the town drinking with her. Missed how she tried to hold a debt over him even though he was sure they were even by now. Missed the fire in her eyes when she yelled at him. He missed arguing back, sharpening his wit against her.

Damn it he had it bad. He hated to admit it but he did.

Zoro gazed over the waves, again feeling the thrill of being out on the open sea, anxious to be back on the Thousand Sunny once again, safe among friends.

He hoped wherever Nami was, that she was fine, that she'd make it back. She was fine, she was a survivor. With a chuckle, he realized she'd probably held up far better than he had these past two years. He doubted she was as torn up with these thoughts as he was. She'd probably forgotten all about it.

With a sigh, Zoro pictured Nami's image in his mind. If all that was meant to be is that they would be nakama, friends, then he would take that over never seeing her again. He would take what he could get.

Soon would be another adventure, another chance to accomplish his dream. Every battle he gained skill and strength and there was bound to be a fight or two the Straw Hats would get into along the way.

He stared at the horizon, willing a smudge of land to appear.

Soon.

Goodbye, my almost lover  
Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
I'm trying not to think about you  
Why can't you just let me be?

So long, my luckless romance  
My back is turned on you  
Should've known you'd bring me heartache  
Almost lovers always do


End file.
